Behaviour Interactive has a packed schedule ahead for Dead by Daylight, and the community finally has firm dates to work with. The official Dead by Daylight news page confirms the next Public Test Build window opens on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, running through Monday, April 13, with the full update following on April 28 at 8AM PDT / 11AM EDT.
What the April PTB is actually testing
Here's the thing: this isn't a new chapter PTB. No new survivor, no new killer reveal, no new map. The April PTB is focused entirely on the next iteration of Dead by Daylight's 2v8 mode, the asymmetrical twist that pits two killers against eight survivors.
Based on the latest Behaviour Interactive roadmap, the timing lines up almost exactly. A PTB typically precedes its live update by around three weeks, and the April 7 PTB landing three weeks before the April 28 update date tracks perfectly. The key here is that 2v8 is the only announced content dropping with that update, which makes it the clear focus of what testers will be playing.
There's also reasonable expectation that Henry Creel, a killer tied to the Stranger Things IP, could appear in 2v8 for the first time during this test window. Nothing has been officially confirmed on that front, so treat it as informed speculation rather than fact.
danger
The PTB is only accessible on Steam. Console players on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch cannot participate in test builds.How to get into the PTB on Steam
Accessing the PTB requires a few steps through Steam's beta branch system. You'll want to do this only after the PTB goes live on April 7:
- Fully close and relaunch Steam
- Right-click Dead by Daylight in your Library
- Open Properties, then navigate to the Game Versions and Betas tab
- Select the Public-Test-Build branch from the dropdown
- Let the game update, then launch it
When the PTB ends on April 13, repeat the process and switch back to Default Public Version to return to the live game.
The bigger picture: when is the next full chapter?
The April 28 update is not a chapter launch, which means the next major content drop is still a few months out. Looking at Behaviour Interactive's historical release cadence, the estimate for the next full Dead by Daylight chapter lands around Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
What most players miss is that the community already voted on what that chapter might be. The Chorus of Sin chapter won a fan vote, and while Behaviour hasn't officially confirmed it as the next release, the timing and community momentum both point in that direction.
The Dead by Daylight update calendar is filling up fast. Keep an eye on our guides section for breakdowns as more PTB details surface from the April test build. Make sure to check out more:
